The abductors kept him overnight in an unidentified location. The next morning he was told that he
was abducted by mistake and consequently, he was dropped in an area called Korathota after being
warned not to disclose this incident to anyone.
Speaking to a news website he has told that he was not sure of the reason for his abduction and that it
could either be a mistake or an attempt to intimidate him. Further he mentioned that the abductors
seemed to be trained personnel.
Prageeth Elnaligoda has worked as a political cartoonist and political analyst for number of print and
online news media. He has been a strong critic of Sinhala chauvinism and the dictatorial tendencies
of the present regime.
While unreservedly condemning this dastardly act of abduction, JDS calls for an independent and
speedy investigation of this incident. The JDS emphasize that to disregard the aim of the abduction
will result in more self-censorship among the journalists in Sri Lanka. It will worsen the prevailing
climate of fear among journalists while paving the way to silence all the dissenting voices. This
incident shows that even three months after claiming ‘war victory’ the government of Sri Lanka has
not been able to stop abductions taking place in the country. |
